Sick Again
by musicchica10
Summary: Arthur's gone. Ariadne's sick. Oneshot...bad summary, sorry...but the story and speaks for itself. Again, this is a ONESHOT!


**Hey all! I'm hoping writing this will help with my writer's block for my other story Vous, Moi, et Nous. I have been sick and on top of that I've hit writer's block, so I had to throw something out to help with it. I'm hoping this does. And yes, since I am sick, I had to write a sick fic...hehe that rhymed...ah, evidence that I am indeed sick...lol anyways...enjoy this ONESHOT and leave a review. Let me know what you all think! Thanks for reading!**

**Inception isn't mine...just this plot...

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A light breeze floated through the room, causing the curtains to stir. The sun shone through the windows, casting its rays on the sleeping form of a young woman. She groaned and pulled the covers over her head, wanting to escape the right rays and the cold breeze.

The left side of the bed was empty. It had been empty for a few days. Her husband was away on a job and she had to deal with being alone for a couple weeks. She sighed and opened her eyes, her face scrunching at the uncomfortable feeling in her throat.

"Great." She mumbled as she threw the covers off of her and sat up slowly. She knew the beginning signs of a cold, and it was making its presence known in her throat. She groaned again and rubbed her neck softly, hoping that massaging it would cause the discomfort to go away.

She kicked her feet over the side of the bed and set them on the ground, a soft thud reaching her ears as they hit the ground. She stood up and walked to the bathroom slowly, looking for some kind of medicine. She sorted through the medicine cabinet and cursed when she couldn't find any cold medicine.

"I just had to get sick when I'm home alone." Ariadne muttered and rubbed her face. She looked at herself in the mirror and frowned. Quickly turning on the water, she splashed some on her face and looked back up as she shut the water off. She looked awful.

Her face looked pale and puffy and she had dark circles under her eyes. Her nose was starting to turn red and her hair was a tangled mess falling down her shoulders. Not wanting to bother with making herself look good, she tied her hair up into a ponytail and walked into the kitchen.

She grabbed the kettle, filled it with water, turned the stove on, and placed the kettle on the stovetop. Tea had always been her favorite when she was sick and it became a habit to make some tea whenever she got sick. She sighed and walked into the living room.

"I guess today is going to be a movie day." She said to herself and collapsed onto the floor in front of their bookshelves filled with movies. She scanned the massive movie collection that she and her husband had started to create. Buckley, their five-month-old Shar-Pei sauntered over to where she was sitting on the floor and sniffed her. She smiled and started petting him softly. Satisfied with being petted, he plopped down on the floor next to her and laid down.

"What should we watch?" She asked him, not expecting an answer. Her fingers began to skim over the DVD cases and they stopped on Casablanca. She plucked it off of the shelf and smiled softly. Normally she wouldn't watch the classics by herself, but it was a relaxing movie and she wanted nothing more than to curl up in bed with her tea and doze off to a movie. Plus it reminded her of her husband.

The kettle began to whistle and Ariadne stood up quickly, causing her to stumble from the sudden movement. After the room stopped spinning, she trudged into the kitchen slowly, grabbing a mug from one of the cabinets and searching for a good tea. When she found one that she liked she poured the hot water in the mug and let it sit for a few minutes before taking the tea bag out and mixing in sugar.

Sighing contently as she carefully took a sip from the mug, she gingerly made her way back to the bedroom. She placed the mug on the coffee table next to the bed and popped in the DVD into the player. She grabbed the remote and huffed as she plopped onto the bed. She crawled up to her pillow and laid down, pushing the play button on the remote. As the movie started, Buckley jumped onto the bed and curled next to her. She smiled contently and watched the screen as the movie started. Soon she was fast asleep, her sleeping dog next to her keeping her company.

* * *

Arthur had been busy at work the past few days and hadn't been able to call Ariadne to check up on her. She didn't really need to be checked on, but he felt better when he'd give her a call and see how she was doing. Finally he was able to find some free time to give her a call.

He snuck away from the team he was working with. He usually didn't work with people he didn't know too well, but he and Ariadne were looking for more money, especially if they were planning on starting a family soon. Sure they had enough already, but they wanted to get a few jobs in before officially retiring from extraction. Arthur sighed as he pulled out his phone. He hated being away from Ariadne, but they both agreed that taking separate jobs would work better for them.

It was a way to avoid what happened to Dom and Mal. Although they knew that they were nothing like them, they wanted to play it safe just in case. Occasionally they would take jobs together, especially if Eames or Yusuf were going to be working with them. They liked familiarity and it was as if a family was being reunited every time they worked a job together.

Arthur broke out of his thoughts and dialed Ariadne's number. He waited patiently as it kept ringing. He frowned when her voicemail came on. Usually she would pick up on the second or third ring, so this was unusual for him. He redialed and waited again, still no answer. This worried him. He decided to call again, third time's the charm. However she still didn't answer. He began to panic. Ariadne always answered, even if she was in the shower she would hear it and pick up. He frowned and stood up, pacing the room.

He couldn't just leave. He was in the middle of a job. They were going to get the mark and perform an extraction on him the next day, but he was beginning to wonder if he'd be able to go through with it without being distracted. He rubbed his face and decided he'd try again later. If not, he'd call Eames or Miles and have them check up on her.

* * *

Ariadne slept through the ringing of her phone. Usually she woke up and answered right away, but she wasn't feeling well at all. What started off as a small head cold turned out to be the beginning signs on the flu. She moaned and opened her eyes slowly. Her whole body was aching and she wanted nothing more than to go back to sleep where the pain was gone and she could be in peace.

She rolled over and looked at the clock. It was three in the morning, she had no medicine, and Arthur was out of town. This was just great. She sat up the best she could and tried to move so she could go to the bathroom, but she was too weak to move.

Frustrated, she reached for her phone and snatched it. She looked at the screen and noticed she had five missed calls from Arthur. She gasped quietly and dialed his number. She knew he'd be worried. She just hoped he didn't do something irrational, like hop on a plane and come back home before they completed the job just to check up on her.

His phone kept ringing and she grunted, knowing that he must be on his way. She quickly dialed Miles' number, hoping he'd answer this late.

"Hello?" His tired voice rang through her ears.

"Miles." Ariadne croaked.

"Ariadne? Thank God! Arthur is worried. I went over to your house, but no one answered. I assumed you were out."

"I'm sick." Ariadne said, her voice hoarse.

"Poor dear. Would you like me to come over?" Miles asked.

"No. I was just calling to see if Arthur told you anything. He called me five times, but I've been sleeping. I didn't even hear it ringing. I think he's heading back now." Ariadne replied.

"Hmmm…well he did say he was going to try calling again after he called me. He didn't say anything about heading back though. Do you think he'd do that? Just throw away a job like that?"

"He might." Ariadne sniffled and fell back into her pillow.

"I can give him a call."

"I already tried. It went to voicemail. He's probably on his way." Ariadne sighed and closed her eyes.

"Well if you need anything in the meantime…" Miles trailed off.

"Thanks Miles. I better get some sleep. I think it's the flu, and I'm not ready to deal with it."

"Get some rest my dear. And give me a call later on today."

"Alright. Bye." Ariadne hung up and closed her eyes tightly, willing the achiness and sickness to go away.

* * *

Arthur decided to go through with the job before heading back. He didn't want to just drop his last job because he thought something bad happened to Ariadne. She'd call him if she needed anything. Besides, he knew she could take care of herself. He went to bed and the early rise wasn't as hard as he expected it to be. He set his phone to vibrate before they went to get the mark and when they were escorting the mark into the hotel room, he felt it vibrate.

He knew it would be Ariadne, and when he had a moment alone he checked it, and sure enough it was her. He wanted to answer it, but they had to keep moving. This job had to go smoothly and he would be able to go back home to his wife.

After five hours of extracting they had completed the job. The members of the team promised Arthur that he would be getting his payment soon and Arthur quickly left. He pulled out his phone while he was hailing a cab to get back to Paris. As he climbed into the taxi and let the driver know where he was taking Arthur, he dialed Ariadne's number and listened as it continued to ring. He let out a frustrated grunt and closed his eyes, his impatience starting to take over.

The flight from London to Paris wasn't long, thankfully. If he had been farther away from Ariadne, he'd probably have gone crazy thinking about all the horrible things that could be wrong with her. He called Miles again after he landed.

"Arthur?" Miles asked as he answered.

"Miles. Have you been able to check up on Ariadne?" Arthur anxiously asked, looking around and finding his car in the parking garage.

"Yes. She has the flu. She's been in and out of sleep. So if you've been trying to call her and she's not answering that's why." Miles replied, hoping to calm Arthur down.

Arthur relaxed a little and nodded to himself. "Thanks Miles. I'm going to be home soon, so you don't need to check up on her. In fact, I'm getting into my car now. I'll talk to you later."

"Take care my boy." Miles said and hung up. Arthur let out a relieved sigh and turned on his car, quickly driving back home. He parked his car, grabbed his bags and ran up to their apartment. He quietly unlocked the door, not wanting to wake up Ariadne if she was still sleeping. Immediately Buckley started barking and Arthur had to calm him down.

After seeing that it was Arthur, Buckley walked up to him, his tail wagging, and followed him as he moved through the house. Arthur placed his bag, briefcase, and the PASIV on the table carefully and tip toed into the bedroom, where he found Ariadne's sleeping form.

She looked awful. He hated admitting it, but she didn't look well at all. He slowly walked to the bed and sat down, gently stroking her hair. Ariadne groaned and opened her eyes, smiling weakly when she saw Arthur.

"You're back early." She croaked and tried to sit up, but Arthur gently held her down.

"We finished early. You weren't answering your phone either, so I got worried." Arthur replied.

"Sorry." Ariadne apologized and closed her eyes. "I feel awful."

"Have you taken anything?" Arthur asked.

"No. We don't have anything. I made myself some tea earlier, but that didn't really help." Ariadne mumbled.

"I'll go pick up a few things from the store. Anything specific that you want?" He asked gently.

"Just the meds. Something that will knock me out tonight." She replied, opening one eye and sending Arthur a playful smile.

"Alright." Arthur chuckled. "If you need anything, call."

"Will do." Ariadne whispered and closed her eyes again, falling back asleep.

Arthur grabbed his keys and wallet, exiting the apartment in silence. He was always able to make unnoticeable exits. Even as a kid he was quiet and sneaky. It was what made him an excellent Point Man. As he walked outside, he looked up, enjoying the warm sunshine and cool breeze. It wasn't until he accidentally bumped into someone that he remembered what he was doing. He picked up his pace and arrived at the nearest grocery store.

He gathered a few ingredients to make Ariadne some soup and after much searching, he finally decided to just get Ariadne some Dayquil and Nyquil. He really wasn't sure what to get her or what she preferred. Those two always worked for him on the rare occasion that he got sick.

At the register the cashier, a young female college student, was ogling at him. He felt flattered and annoyed at the same time, wanting to get home as soon as possible. He grabbed his wallet and when he pulled it out he placed his hands on the counter in front of him, flashing his wedding ring in the process. He saw the woman's face fall for a split second before regaining composure and being polite.

After several minutes of unwanted flirtations, he paid for his groceries and headed out in a hurry. The sky was starting to become overcast and Arthur knew that a storm was on its way. He sighed and briskly walked.

When he arrived home he found Ariadne sitting up in bed with the TV on. Buckley was on the bed beside her and Arthur frowned. He didn't like when the dog got on the bed, but he let it slide.

"Hey Ari. I'm back." Arthur told her as he handed her the medicine. She smiled at him and stood up, heading to the bathroom. Arthur walked back into the kitchen and pulled out the food he bought, ready to start to prepare a nice meal for his wife. He heard the sink running, some shuffling, and Ariadne plop onto bed. He smirked to himself and started cooking.

* * *

Ariadne was lying in bed, feeling miserable. Being sick wasn't her favorite thing at all, but then again who enjoyed being sick? She frowned and scooted down more, allowing herself to lay down completely while watching a movie. She heard Arthur moving around in the kitchen but didn't bother thinking much about it as her thoughts kept going to her aching body.

She groaned and closed her eyes, trying to fall asleep. After half an hour she gave up and climbed out of bed slowly. She sauntered into the kitchen and found Arthur cooking. She sniffled and Arthur turned around, taking in her disgruntled appearance.

"You should be in bed." Arthur told her.

"I tried, but I couldn't fall back asleep." Ariadne pouted and slumped forward on the counter, her head hidden in her arms. Arthur frowned and walked over to her.

"You sure you don't want to lie down?" Arthur asked, rubbing her back.

"I'll be fine." Ariadne replied, looking up. Arthur placed his hand on her forehead and pulled away after a few moments.

"You have a fever. You're pale, you look exhausted, and you need sleep. You should be in bed Ari." Arthur sternly told her.

"I don't think I can make it back if I tried. Besides, it smells good out here." Ariadne reasoned.

"I'm surprised you can even smell anything at all." Arthur looked her over before sighing. "Come on, let's get you back in bed."

"I'm fine." Ariadne lied and Arthur shook his head, picking her up carefully and carrying her to their room.

"Rest. I'll bring you food when it's done. I just want you to get better soon." Arthur quietly told her and she sighed.

"Fine." She yawned and closed her eyes, waiting until he left the room to open them again and turn the TV back on.

* * *

When Arthur walked into their room fifteen minutes later he found Ariadne sleeping. Her head hanging slightly off the bed, her pillow thrown carelessly on the ground, the blankets strewn around her, and her lips parted slightly. Arthur rolled his eyes and walked to her side, picking up the pillow and moving Ariadne so she wouldn't roll off the bed.

She stirred and woke up, looking at him curiously. He chuckled and crawled into bed next to her.

"You were hanging off the bed. Somehow your pillow ended up on the floor." He whispered into her hair, pulling her closer to him.

"Arthur, you're going to get sick too. You shouldn't be in bed with me right now." Ariadne protested.

"Nonsense. I can't leave my sick wife alone can I?" He asked playfully.

"If she's sick then you can. She doesn't want you catching what she has." Ariadne replied, talking in third person.

Arthur laughed quietly and pulled her closer again. "I made you soup. You hungry?"

Ariadne nodded and Arthur helped her sit up. She moved to get out of bed, but Arthur held her back.

"I'll bring it to you." Arthur said, leaving the room and coming back moments later with a steaming bowl of soup and a cup of apple juice. He even placed a flower on the small tray he was carrying.

"You're such a romantic." Ariadne said, eyeing the lily on her tray. "But I love it."

"Eat and get some rest." Arthur ordered.

"Yes sir." Ariadne sarcastically said. "You still haven't told me about the job. It was your last extraction after all."

"There's nothing to tell. That part of my life is over." Arthur shrugged and Ariadne stared at him in surprise.

"And you're just shrugging it off like it's nothing?" She asked in disbelief.

"I have you. That's all I need. And pretty soon we'll have our own family. I don't want to be gone almost all the time for work anymore."

Ariadne smiled at him, her hair sticking to her sweating forehead. Despite being sick, Arthur couldn't help but think that she couldn't look more beautiful than now.

"I love you." Ariadne finally said, eating her soup.

"I love you too Ari. So much." Arthur kissed her forehead and she leaned into him, forgetting about the food on her lap momentarily.

"Careful. You don't want to spill anything." Arthur mumbled into her hair. She murmured something softly before moving the tray onto the table beside the bed and laid down, pulling Arthur with her.

"I should have sick days more often." She said as she started to fall asleep.

The two of them fell asleep peacefully in each other's arms, neither caring that Ariadne was sick. This was a new beginning for them and both were happy to relish in this small moment they had together.

* * *

**So what did you think? Buckley is actually the name of my dog and he is also a Shar-Pei...he isn't five months old though...more like 8 years old...but I love him dearly...he's my puppy! :D haha...leave a review! and thanks for reading! Hopefully I will be able to update my story soon, but this cold has been awful and writer's block has been taunting me for a few days...next week is spring break, so maybe I will be able to write more then...plus this week is also midterms, so I've been working on projects too...busy busy and sick sick...lol thanks again!**


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